My invention relates to a device for protecting a splice in a cable, and more particularly, to a device for protecting an underground cable splice, and still more particularly, to a device for stabilizing a cable splice enclosure having a cable splice therein with reference to the surrounding terrain.
In the prior art, devices for protecting underground cables and pipelines are known, and some of these are described in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,306,331 to W. B. Elmer, Dec. 22, 1942
U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,005 to L. H. Mathews, Feb, 15, 1972
U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,684 to E. I. Wilson, Jan. 24, 1978.
The word "cable" normally describes two or more electrical conductors or cores which are individually insulated and contained within a protective sheath. Typically, a telephone communication cable may contain a multiplicity of conductors each individually insulated and the group contained within a metal sheath, of, for instance, lead, aluminum, or copper.
Obviously, to whatever use a cable pertains, there will eventually be need of joining one cable to a continuing cable or of splitting the original cable into smaller cables for further distribution. In any such point of joinder, the splice must be adequately protected from any potential cause of destruction, such as by movement of the surrounding earth which might cause breakage of any of the individual points of connection, breakage of many of the separate wire joints, or bending or breaking of the outer sheath permitting moisture or air to intrude. The entry of moisture or air could cause corrosion of some particular component resulting in broken connections or shortcircuiting.
Ground movement may be caused by surface traffic or by water seepage. In addition, shortly after installation of underground cable, the loosened earth has a tendency to settle further. Any of these conditions could cause the outer sheath of a cable joint to fracture.
As shown in the prior art cited above, some attempts have been made in the past to protect underground cables or other type of underground conduits by enclosing the conduit in some form of protective covering to compensate for some of the potential causes of injury to a cable.
However, I have discovered that a cable joint may best be protected from damage by enclosing the cable splice with a cable splice enclosure and securing the cable splice enclosure and adjacent portions of cable in an immobile position in relation to each other and at least stable or substantially immobile in relation to the surrounding terrain or to extended portions of the cable.